(Andy Fairweather Low)
Australia
#51 Sydney | #83 Australia
Single on RCA Victor by Australian singer, TV personality and model Lori Balmer. Her first record on RCA Australia, as Lori, was released in 1966 when she was a young child.
In 1968 Lori travelled with her parents to the UK where she appeared on radio, TV and records. Her first UK single, in 1968 on Polydor, was recorded in London with the participation of The Bee Gees who wrote both songs, and she was signed to Pye in the early 70s. Further releases followed, and her vocals have been heard on tour or in sessions with many famous artists, as well as on familiar radio and TV jingles.
Her most successful single was Don’t Throw It All Away (1975, charted 1976, #13 Adelaide, #5 Perth | #66 Australia), written by Gary Benson and Dave Mindel as a Eurovision hopeful. It was first released by The Shadows on Specs Appeal (April 1975) then on a charting single by Gary Benson (June 1975 #20 UK). ♫ Listen at YouTube
Essential reading: 1. Lori Balmer feature from ABC Radio’s Rare Collections. 2. The Wikipedia article has many details of Lori Balmer’s remarkable career.
Thank you to Terry Stacey for suggestion and version alerts.
(Andy Fairweather Low)
UK
Single on Good Earth (UK) by Australian quartet, in fact the real-life Sutcliffe sisters Ellen, Linda, Patricia and Susan from Adelaide, previously known as The Cliffmores before working in the UK as The Surprise Sisters.
Further reading: The Cliffmores (Surprise Sisters) at Kimbo’s Australian Music History blog.
(Andy Fairweather Low)
Denmark
On album Watch Out! (1977) by Swedish singer, actor and TV entertainer Björn Skifs (b. 1947). Also released on singles in Denmark and several other countries.
Produced by Bengt Palmers, notable Swedish producer, also a composer, screenwriter and TV personality. Beyond Sweden, his production Moviestar by Harpo (1975) is well known but that is just a prominent tip of an iceberg: see the Bengt Palmers article at Swedish Wikipedia for more.
Further reading: Björn Skifs article at Swedish Wikipedia.
(Andy Fairweather Low)
UK
Original version
Single on A&M and on 1975 album La Booga Rooga (both released in UK and USA).
Welsh singer-guitarist Andy Fairweather Low was lead singer with Amen Corner whose big hit was (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice (1969, #1 UK).
Since then, as well as releasing solo material he has played, sung or collaborated with numerous major names in music including Roy Wood, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, Gerry Rafferty, The Who, Bill Wyman, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton. He was a long-term guitarist of Roger Waters’ band The Bleeding Heart.
Further reading: To gain an appreciation of the scope of Fairweather Low’s work, see the Wikipedia article, the All Music biography and David Clarke’s encyclopedia entry.
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2024. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Philippe Edouard, Dave Overett.., More…